Berrry-box.



No. 797,113. PATENTED AUG.15, 1905. HIERS n L.. GHAMPEAL BERRY BOX.

APPLICATION FILED M11. 5, 1905.

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`.Ilifi'itRLE5 O. HIERS AND LOUIS OHAMPEAU, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA,

' ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF TO W ILBUR THAYER, OF MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA.

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Patented Aug'. 15, 1905.

Application filed January 5. 1905- Serial No. 239,746.

Be it known that we, CHARLES O. Hines and .Louis OHAMPEAU, of St. Paul,Ramsey county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Ilmprovements in Berry-Boxes, of which the following' is a specification.

Our invention relates .to boxes used in shipping berries from place toplace; and the object of the invention is to provide a box of simpleinexpensive construction which can be shipped to the place where theberries are to be packed in a collapsed or knocked-down form and easilyset up and made ready for use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a knockdown box having acollapsible characteristic and at the same time possessing all thenecessary attributes of the ordinary Vberry-box.

The invention consists generally in a knockdown box capable of beingcollapsed and shipped in a flattened condition and having a bottom thatis raised above the lower edge of the walls when the box is set up.

ln the accompanying' drawings, forming part of this specilication,Figure l is a perspective view of a berry-box en'ibodying` ourinvention, the lower forward corner being broken away, showing theposition of the bottom therein. Fig. 2 is a sectional view through thebottom of the box. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the box in its collapsed orknocked-down condition.

ln the drawings, 2, 3, Li, and 5 represent the side walls of the box,composed of flexible material, preferably cardboard, though any othersuitable substance may be employed, if preferred. The walls are allformed in one piece, with bends or :folds at their intersections formingthe corners of the box, and the wall 2 has a iiap 6 on its end providedwith tongues 7, having notches or recesses 8. These tongues are adaptedto enter slots 9, provided near the edge of the wall 5, and the notchesengagil'ig with the ends of the slots lock the tongues therein andprevent the walls from becoming accidentally separated. One of the walls2, 3, it, or 5 is also provided on one side with a bottom plate 10,preferably formed integral with the wall and united therewith by a iiapll, having bends at its longitudinal edges which cause the bottom plateto be set up into the box above thelower edges ofthe side walls adistance corresponding to the width of the lap ll. A series of tongues12 are provided at intervals around the edge of the plate l0, and 'liaps13 are provided on the contiguous edges of the walls not having' theplate 10, and a bend is formed in each iiap at its point of intersectionwith the wall, and these liaps form a support for the bottom plate andare provided with tongues 12, that alternate with the correspondingtongues on the plate l0 and also interlock with them to close the spacebetween the edges ol'l the plate 10 and the walls of the box and holdthe said plate in place above the edges of the side walls.

The lapsare formed on all sides of the box and serve to strengthen andbrace the lower edges of the same very materially, and the tonguesprovided on the iaps interlocking with those on the raised bottom holdthe same lirmly in place and prevent it from working loose. No paste ofany kind is used in setting' up the box, and the cost of preparing itfor use is thereby reduced to a minimum.

lWhen a box is set up, the flaps 13 are folded in and up to meet thedepending tongues of the plate 10 and hold it in position a suilicientdistance above the lower edges of the side walls to form a space belowthe bottom sufficient for Ventilating purposes. The side walls and thebottom may also be provided with a series of perforations la, which aidin Ventilating the boxes when they are packed snugly in cases andshipped to the market. 7e have shown this box substantially square incross-section; but obviously it may be oblong, oval, or round, ifpreferred, and, in fact, any suitable shape may be adopted and anysuitable material may be used, the essential feature being the knockdownbox having its bottom raised above the lower edge of the side walls andprovided with double walls on all sides below said bottom.

We claim as our invention-A i l. A knockdown berry-box made in one pieceand having side walls with means for locking them together, said wallsbeing provided on their lower edges with flaps that are adapted to befolded up against the side walls on the inside, a bottom plate attachedto one of said flaps and arranged to close the opening between saidwalls at the bottom, said plate being set up above the lower edges ofsaid walls a distance corresijronding to the width of said flaps, andinterlocking tongues provided on said bottom plate and said tiaps.

2. A knockdown box coinprising a blanksection adapted to be folded toform the side walls and having interlocking means at its ends to securethe said side walls together, said blank-section having on one edge aseries of flaps 13 and also having an extension separated from the mainportion of the blank by the Hap 11 of substantially the same Width asthe fiaps13, and said iiaps being folded up against the inner surface ofthe side Walls when the box is set up whereby a double thickness of wallis formed at the bottom of the box, and means for. securing saidextension and said flaps together, substantially as described. v

3. A knockdown box comprising a blanksection 2 adapted to be folded toform the side Walls and having interlocking means at its ends to securethe side walls together, and said blank having on one edge a series offlaps 13 provided with tongues 12' and also having an extension 10provided with a series ot' tongues 12 and separated from the mainportion of the blank by a lap 11 of substantially the same Width as theaps 13, and said flaps being folded up against the inner surface of theside walls when the box is set up where-A by a double thickness of wallis formed at the bottom of the box and the tongues 12 and 12 beingadapted to interlock one with another and thereby hold the bottom andflaps in place, substantially as described.

4. A knockdown box consisting of a blank having a series of flaps on oneedge, one of said flaps having an extension that forms the bottom of thebox when it is set up, and said flaps being adapted to be folded upagainst the inner surface of the side Walls, and said iaps and saidextension being provided with a series of tongues those upon said flapsinterlocking with those upon said extension on three sides thereof andthereby holding said extension in place.

1n witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 31st day ofDecember, 1904.

W'itnesses:

A. C. PAUL, C. MACNAMARA.

